Democrats begin fight against Trump: his election ‘does not feel like America’

During a rancourous buildup to election day, Obama led warnings that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy and that fundamental values such as tolerance were on the ballot. But once the votes were in, Obama began the traditional process of welcoming Trump to the White House, cordially describing their meeting as excellent and wishing for his success.

Reid, however, pushed back against efforts by politicians and media outlets to co-opt Trump into the mainstream. Every news piece that breathlessly obsesses over inauguration preparations compounds their fear by normalizing a man who has threatened to tear families apart, who has bragged about sexually assaulting women and who has directed crowds of thousands to intimidate reporters and assault African Americans. Their fear is legitimate and we must refuse to let it fall through the cracks between the fluff pieces.

Trump owes it to the nation to try to roll back the tide of hate he unleashed, Reid added.

Warren, a potential future leftwing standard bearer for the party, has clashed with Trump on Twitter; on the eve of the election he recycled his description of her as Pocahontas, mocking her disputed Native American heritage, and a terrible human being.

She set out a clear manifesto for the progressive left, urging people: Get out there and volunteer. She cited Planned Parenthood, the reproductive health organization, adding: Give a couple hours a week to them or to any other organization that really matters to you, an environmental organization, an immigrants rights organization, somebody who is working on economic justice, someone who is working on financial reform, get out there and volunteer because volunteering is a way to say were making these groups stronger.

This is one way our voice will be heard. Its not all going to be heard in Washington. This is how were going to have our voice heard We are going to fight back. We are not turning this country over to what Donald Trump has sold. We are just not.

The fallout from Trumps shocking win has served to highlight the depth of division in America and the scale of the challenge of healing it. It mortified millions of people in major liberal cities on the coasts such as New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Legislative leaders in California, a Democratic stronghold that is home to Hollywood and Silicon Valley, issued a joint statement that said: Today, we woke up feeling like strangers in a foreign land, because yesterday Americans expressed their views on a pluralistic and democratic society that are clearly inconsistent with the values of the people of California.

We have never been more proud to be Californians. By a margin in the millions, Californians overwhelmingly rejected politics fueled by resentment, bigotry, and misogyny. The largest state of the union and the strongest driver of our nations economy has shown it has its surest conscience as well.

Thousands gathered in major cities across the US to protest about Trumps victory for a second night. Motorways were blocked, shop windows smashed and fires ignited. In Portland, Oregon, police began pushing back against the crowd that threw objects at them, making 26 arrests and using pepper spray and rubber bullets. In Oakland, California, protesters hurled molotov cocktails, rocks and fireworks at police. About 5,000 people, including the singer Lady Gaga, gathered outside Trump Tower in New York.

The celebrity businessman seemed to change his mind about the demonstrations. Late on Thursday he tweeted that professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!

But early on Friday, he wrote: Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!

Trump was in Trump Tower in New York on Friday morning meeting with senior staff members. He tweeted that he had a busy day planned in New York and will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government!